Canucks' Bonino on 2nd-line center role: 'It comes with responsibility'

Nick Bonino is set to begin his tenure with the Vancouver Canucks, and is being pencilled in as the club's second-line center. 

As the 26-year-old gets set to fill Ryan Kesler's spot in the lineup, he invokes some serious superhero imagery, as per NHL.com.

"It's definitely a goal of mine to be a top-six forward in the League, and it's different to be called a second-line center now," Bonino said. "It comes with responsibility. You have to make good plays, be responsible, and you have to produce."

While Bonino chipped in 20 of his 49 points on the power play (seven goals, 13 assists), he struggled somewhat at even strength, posting a 49.8 Corsi For rating (via Stats.HockeyAnalysis.com). 

General manager Jim Benning, however, believes Bonino can continue to grow his game on the team's second line, alongside Alexandre Burrows and either Zack Kassian or Chris Higgins.

"He's a skilled player," Benning said of Bonino. "I think he can play 5-on-5 and not hurt you, and from the top of the circles down he's got good hands and he's skilled."

It's a sentiment shared by head coach Willie Desjardins:

"[Bonino] is a smart player, I like that about him, and he's a skill player, I like that as well. He's excited at more 5-on-5 opportunity, to be counted on a little bit more and in key roles. Does his point total go up or down depending on PP time? I don't know. But I know he is a player with abilities that can help our team, and we are counting on him to come in here and make us a better team."

Kesler was a key member of a Canucks squad that achieved great success in recent years, and Bonino will indeed need to step up his game in order to fill that hole.